Winch



March 5, 1940. A. P. SCHAT ET AL WINCH Filed Aug. 23, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5 e m;% M A O M V W; W IIT L 50. n" F ILMEN w M i p i J T MO! 9 4 8 JM wu s \L 3 M/ 4 WM I .nlc H..% F 5 F N 9w 1.

March 5, 1940. sc T 5 AL 2,192,842

' wmcn Filed Aug. 23, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A SCH/77" KS'EVOLOD Jule/ya "March 5, 1940- A. P. SCHAT ET AL WINCH 3 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Aug. 23. 1938 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINCH Schat Application August 23,

1938, Serial No. 226,356

In Germany September 3, 1937 2 Claims.

Our present invention relates to winches, more especially to motor driven twin winches, i. e., winches adapted for the handling of two or more loads, for instance, life boats.

The principal object of our invention is a motor driven twin winch so arranged that it is impossible for both loads to be hoisted simultaneously, but that both loads can be simultaneously lowered, and also, that during the lowering of the one load the other can be hoisted.

With this and other objects in View, our present invention comprises two rope drums, or sets of rope drums, and a reversible motor having a driving gear, each drum, or set of drums being associated, through an individual transmission gear, with one element of an individual manually operable clutch, the other element of which is operatively connected to an individual revoluble member adapted for rotation in hoisting direction but prevented from rotating in lowering direction, said member being connected, through an individual freewheel device operative in hoisting direction, with an individual gear wheel, which is in permanent operative association with said driving gear, it being understood that the two freewheel devices are operative in opposite directions.

Preferably, centrifugal brakes are interposed in the transmission gears, which operatively couple each drum, or set of drums, with its individual clutch.

In order that our invention may be well understood by those skilled in the art, we shall now proceed to describe the same with reference to the annexed drawings.

Fig. l is partly a plan view, partly a horizontal section of a boat winch in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale: at the 40 left hand side of line A-A a horizontal section, and at the right hand side of said line partly a horizontal section, partly a plan view of the central portion of the boat winch illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows, also on an enlarged scale: at the left hand side of line B-B, a horizontal section, and at the right hand side of said line partly a horizontal section, partly a plan view of the central portion of a boat winch of a somewhat modified construction.

The boat winch diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 comprises a reversible electric motor 4, which, through mechanism to be described in further detail hereinafter, is adapted to drive two pairs of rope drums 5, 8 and I, 8 mounted on either side of the motor. Drums 5 and 6 may serve for hauling in and paying out the two falls of one life boat, whereas drums I and 8 may serve the same purpose as regards another life boat. Boats and falls have not been illustrated.

Drums 5 and 6 are rotatably mounted, in parallel relation, in a suitable frame 9, which also supports the bearings for drums I, 8. Secured to the shaft of drum 5 is a gear wheel [0, and secured to the shaft of drum 6 is a gear wheel ll of equal size, said gears meshing with a common pinion l2, the shaft I3 of which carries a centrifugal brake member l4 adapted for cooperation with the inner wall of a cylindrical casing l5. Said casing is secured to the frame 9 and its outer wall is provided with cooling ribs I6.

Keyed to shaft is is a gear wheel I! meshing with-a gear l8, which is suitably supported for rotation in the frame 9 and is in mesh with a pinion l9 freely revoluble about a shaft 20, see Fig. '2.

With reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the rear end of shaft 29 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 2| supported by the frame 9, and that its front end is secured to one-half 22 of a friction clutch, the second half 23 of which is secured as by screws 25 to the hub of the aforesaid pinion l9.

Secured to the half 22 of the friction clutch is i a cap 25, which accommodates the outer race 26 of a ball bearing, the inner race 21 of which is mounted on the rear end of a short screw spindle 28 so as to be locked against axial movement relative thereto. Said screw spindle coacts with a nut member 29 fixed to a casing 30, which encloses the friction clutch 22, 23 and is itself secured to the frame 9. Keyed to the front end of screw spindle 28 is a handwheel 3!.

Mounted within the cap 25 is a coiled spring 32, the rear end of which bears against the hub portion of member 22, the front end bearing against the outer ball bearing race 26 through the medium of a ring 33. It will thus be understood that rotation of the hand wheel 3| in one direction will cause the clutch members 22. 23 to engage one another, and that said members will disengage one another when the handwheel is turned in the opposite direction.

Loosely mounted on the rear end of shaft 20 is a gear wheel 34, which meshes with the pinion 35 of the motor 4. Said gear wheel 34 has an elongated hub portion 35, coiled around which is a spring blade 31. The rear end of said coiled spring blade is connected, through a link 39 hinged thereto, with a disk 38 keyed upon the shaft 20, said link passing with some clearance through a slot in a lug 40 on the front end of said spring. Spring 31 normally exerts a weak clamping action on the hub 36 in such a manner that rotation of gear wheel 34 in one direction causes the spring 31 to take fast hold of hub 36 and thus rigidly connect the gear 34, 36 with the disk 38, whereas during rotation of wheel 34 in the other direction the spring 31 simply slips over the hub 36 and disk 38 remains stationary. The coiled spring 31 thus actually functions as a freewheel gear.

A second spring 4| is coiled around a hub member 42 secured through a member 43 to the frame 9 and accommodating a ball bearing 44 for the pinion IS. The front end of coiled spring 4| is connected, through a link 45 hinged thereto, with the disk 38, said link passing with some clearance through a slot in a lug 46 on the rear end of the spring, the arrangement being such that the spring normally exerts a weak clamping action on hub 42 and that it acts as a freewheel device allowing disk 38 to follow the aforesaid rotation in one direction of wheel 34, but to positively prevent it from rotation in the opposite direction.

Drums 7 and 8 (Fig. 1) are adapted to be driven by the motor pinion 35 in exactly the same mannner as are drums and 6, that is to say, pinion 35 meshes with a loosely mounted gear wheel 41 associated through a coiled spring 48 with a disk 49, which in turn is associated through a coiled spring 50 with the frame 9, it being understood, however, that spring 48 and 5|! are coiled in directions opposite to those of springs 31 and 4|, respectively, so that rotation of pinion 35 in one direction causes the gear 34 to be operatively coupled with disk 38 and the gear 41 to revolve idly, whereas rotation of pinion 35 in the opposite direction causes the gear 41 to be operatively coupled with the disk 49 and the gear 34 to be idle.

The modus operandi of the described arrangement is as follows.

Assuming the motor 4 to be inoperative, a load suspended from ropes secured to drums 5 and 6 can be lowered simply by throwing clutch 22, 23 out of gear by means of handwheel 3|. Pinion I9 is then freely revoluble and the load has freedom of descending motion exclusively under the control of the centrifugal brake l4, l5.

For arresting the descending motion of the load, it is necessary to throw clutch 22, 23 in gear, whereby pinion I9 is coupled, through said clutch and through shaft 20, with the disk 38. This disk is prevented by spring clutch 4| from following the movement of the descending load, so that the latter is immediately arrested.

In the same way, a load suspended from ropes secured to drums l and 8 can be lowered and arrested, if desired simultaneously with the load associated with drums 5 and 6.

Assuming now motor 4 to revolve in a direction as to throw in spring clutch 3'1, 1. e. to throw out spring clutch 48, it is clear that disk 36 and its associated shaft 2|) will be driven. Provided that friction clutch 22, 23 has been put in gear, said rotation will be transmitted to pinion l3 and thus to pinion l2, whereby both drums 5 and 6 are driven in a direction wherein ropes secured thereto are hauled in and a load suspended therefrom hoisted.

If during hoisting it is desired for the load, for instance a life boat, to remain poised, all that is necessary is turning the hand wheel 3| in a direction as to allow the clutch 22, 23 to slip to just the required extent.

If the clutch 22, 23 is entirely disconnected, the load is free to descend exclusively under the control of the centrifugal brake member M on shaft 3.

When during hoisting the load is engaged by some impediment preventing it from further rising movement, throwing out the friction clutch 22, 23 will avoid rupture of the ropes, if it should not be possible to stop the motor in time.

From the above it will be understood that during hoisting the attendant has only to operate the hand wheel 3|, and has not to care for the motor starter.

During the time wherein the motor 4 rotates in the aforesaid direction, a load associated with the drums l and 8 cannot be hoisted, so that the motor cannot be overloaded. However, said load can be lowered under the control of the corresponding centrifugal brake.

When the motor 4 rotates in the opposite direction, a load associated with the drums I and B can be hoisted, held poised and be lowered at will, while a load associated with the drums 5 and 6 can only be lowered under the control of the centrifugal brake l4, and held poised, but not hoisted.

Fig. 3 shows the central part of a second embodiment of our invention, which operates in exactly the same manner as the one described hereinbefore, it being understood that the drums and the mechanism through which the drums are controlled by said central part substantially correspond to those shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the parts corresponding to those illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 are designated by the same references.

As shown, the motor pinion 35 meshes with gear 34 through gear wheels 5|, 52, instead of engaging it directly.

Gear 34 is adapted to engage the disk 38 through a second disk 53, the hub of which has a screw connection 54 with the hub of gear 34. The opposite faces of disks 38 and 53 are coated with antifriction material. Obviously, rotation of wheel 34 in one direction will cause disk 53 to disengage disk 38, whereas rotation in the opposite direction will cause it to be firmly pressed against disk 38 and compel the latter to rotate in unison therewith.

The disk 38 is not splined upon shaft 20, as in the first embodiment, but rigidly secured to a sleeve 55, which is loosely mounted on shaft 20 and about which the gear 34 is freely rotatable. Sleeve 55 is adapted, through a friction clutch 56, to be coupled with and uncoupled from a block 51, which is keyed to the shaft 20 and is adapted for limited axial displacement in either direction by means of the hand wheel 3|. Said block is provided with the centrifugal brake element I4.

The means'for preventing disk 38 from rotating in a direction opposite that in which it is adapted to be driven by gear wheel 34 comprise a third disk 58 adapted for limited axial sliding movement and for rotation coaxially with disk 38, with which it is associated through a clutch 59 having inclined dogs such that disk 58 can freely follow the rotation imparted to disk 38 by gear 34, but is axially moved away from disk 38 and firmly pressed against a stationary partition 63 of casing 30 as soon as disk 38 is turned in the reverse direction. The opposite faces of disk 58 and partition 60 are coated with antifriction material,

so that rotation of disk 38 in the reverse direction is positively prevented.

If the motor 4 stands idle, disengagement oi the friction clutch 56 by means of handwheel 3| will cause a load associated with the drums 5, 6 to be lowered exclusively under the control of the centrifugal brake element 14, with which said drums are permanently coupled through the gear wheeis H, l2, IT, IS, IS, the shaft 20 and the block Throwing in of the clutch 56 during the descending motion of the load will cause block 5'? to be coupled with the sleeve 55 and, consequently, with disk 38, whereby the lowering motion is immediately checked, owing to the disk 53 being forcibly pressed against the stationary partition 60.

For hoisting a load associated with the drums 5, 6, the motor 4 is started in the proper direction, so that gear 34 is operatively coupled with disk 38. With the clutch 56 thrown in gear, rotation of disk 38 will be transmitted through sleeve 55, block 51, shaft 20, pinion l9, gears l8, l1, [2, II and NJ to the drums 5, 6, which are thereby driven in hoisting direction.

A further description of the operation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 is superfluous, since it would substantially be a repetition of the foregoing explanation of the modus operandi of the first embodiment.

We wish it to be understood that the term drum in the appended claims is to be construed as to also comprise a set of drums.

What we claim is:

1. In a twin winch, a reversible motor, two rope drums, two manually operable clutches one for each of said rope drums, a transmission gear connecting each of said drums to one element of its individual clutch, a revoluble member individual to each clutch, individual means for preventing said member from rotation in lowering direction of the winch, an individual free-wheel device operative in hoisting direction of the winch, individual means for operatively connecting the other clutch element with said revoluble member, individual means for operatively connecting said revoluble member with one element of said freewheel device, and individualmeans for operatively connecting the other element of said freewheel device with said reversible motor, the freewheel devices being operative in opposite directions of rotation of the motor.

2. In a twin winch, a reversible motor, two rope drums, two manually operable clutches one for each of said rope drums, a transmission gear connecting each of said drums to one element of its individual clutch, a centrifugal brake interposed in each of said transmission gears, a revoluble member individual to each clutch, individual means for preventing said member from rotation in lowering direction of the winch, an individual free-wheel device operative in hoisting direction of the winch, individual means for operatively connecting the other clutch element with said revoluble member, individual means for operatively connecting said revoluble member with one element of said free-wheel device, and individual means for operatively connecting the other element of said free-wheel device with said reversible motor, the free-wheel devices being operative in opposite directions of rotation of the motor.

ANE PIETER SCHAT. VSEVOLOD SMIRNOFF. 

